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Contact

Language Skills

R
German
Docker/Singularity
Shell
Nextflow
Python
SQL
汉语

Main

Alex Rajewski

Experienced bioinformatics data scientist with experience in oncology, drug design, single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, epigenetics, genome assembly, and phylogenetics. Also skilled in pipeline development, including Nextflow, Docker, Singularity, and Git. I am an excellent science communicator to both public and professional audiences.

Education

PhD Bioinformatics & Plant Biology

University of California, Riverside

N/A

2020

  • Genome assembly/annotation, RNA-seq, phylogenetics, high-throughput CRISPR screening
  • NGS library prep, PCR, tissue culture, in situ hybridization, microscopy

MS Horticulture

University of Georgia

N/A

2015

  • Population genetics, Microsatellites/SSR, phylogenetics

BS Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology

Drake University

N/A

2010

Work Experience

Bioinformatics Scientist

SEngine Precision Medicine

N/A

current - 2022

  • Development of high-throughput drug screening analysis pipelines in R
  • Consultation on experimental design and statistical analysis

Research Bioinformatician II

Cedars-Sinai Genomics Core

N/A

2022 - 2021

  • Advanced analysis of single-cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics, WES/WGS, CUT&Tag, ATAC-seq
  • Pipeline development with Nextflow, Docker, and Git

Research Assistant

University of California, Riverside

N/A

2020 - 2015

  • Created and characterized CRISPR mutants for a trait validation project
  • Sequenced, assembled, and functionally annotated the genome of Datura stramonium

Research Assistant

University of Georgia

N/A

2015 - 2013

  • NGS and microsatellite analysis of poplation genetic structure

Congress-Bundestag Fellow & Research Intern

Universität Rostock

N/A

2012 - 2011

  • Vaccine production in transgenic plants
  • Developed plant transformation methods in lupine, pea, tobacco, and potato

Research Assistant

Pioneer Hi-Bred (Corteva)

N/A

2011 - 2010

  • Developed SQL database to integrate phenotypic and genotypic measurements

NSF Research Intern

North Carolina State University

N/A

Aug 2009 - May 2009

  • Validated viral protein production in novel hosts

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Stacking the odds: Multiple sites for HSV-1 latency

Science Advances.
Shaohui Wang, Xueying Song, Alex Rajewski, Chintda Santiskulvong, and Homayon Ghiasi

N/A

2023

Multispecies Transcriptomes Reveal Core Fruit Development Genes

Frontiers in Plant Science
Alex Rajewski, Dinusha Maheepala, Jessica Le, Amy Litt

N/A

2022

SOX9 switch orchestrates dynamic Wnt niches and kidney myofibroblast activity

Cell (In Review)
Z. Wang; S. Aggarwal; A. Rajewski; M.K. Bhasin; K. Suresh; M. Yamashita; H. Akiyama; S.A.Karumanchi; S.C. Jordan; P.W. Noble; P.E. Cippà; S. Kumar.

N/A

2022

Cell therapy attenuates endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive rats with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction

Heart and Circulatory Physiology
G. de Couto, T. Mesquita, X. Wu, A. Rajewski, F. Huang, A. Akhmerov, N. Na, D. Wu, Y. Wang, L. Li, M. Tran, P. Kilfoil, E. Cingolani, E. Marbán

N/A

2022

Datura Genome Reveals Duplications of Psychoactive Alkaloid Biosynthetic Genes and High Mutation Rate Following Tissue Culture

BMC Genomics
Alex Rajewski, Derreck Carter-House, Jason Stajich, and Amy Litt

N/A

2021

in Vitro Plant Regeneration and Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated Transformation of Datura stramonium

Applications in Plant Science
Alex Rajewski, Kevan Elkins, Ashley Henry, Joyce Van Eck, and Amy Litt

N/A

2019

Evolution and Diversification of FRUITFULL Genes in Solanaceae

Frontiers in Plant Science
Dinusha Maheepala, Chris Emerling, Alex Rajewski, Jenna Macon, Maya Stahl, Natalia Pabón-Mora, and Amy Litt

N/A

2019

Classification and phylogenetic analyses of the Arabidopsis and tomato G-type lectin receptor kinases

BMC Genomics
Marcella A. Teixeira, Alex Rajewski, Jiangman He, Olenka G. Castaneda, Amy Litt, and Isgouhi Kaloshian

N/A

2018

Teaching Experience

Tools for building highly customized figures

Botany Conference

Tucson, AZ

2019

  • Co-taught a workshop using base R graphics for data presentation

Making Your Work Environment LGBTQ+ Welcoming and Affirming

Plant Biology Conference

San Jose, CA

2019

  • Hosted a panel discussion on LGBTQ+ representation and workplace issues
  • Recruited speakers from both academia and industry

California’s Cornucopia (TA)

UCR Dept of Botany and Plant Science

Riverside, CA

2018

  • Led discussion sections for 120 students
  • Introductory, non-major course

Foundations of Plant Biology (TA)

UCR Dept of Botany and Plant Science

Riverside, CA

2016

  • Designed and led lab sections for 80 students
  • Broad, upper-division course

Outreach

Extension Master Gardener

California, Iowa, Kansas, Georgia

N/A

current - 2010

Big Brother

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Empire

N/A

current - 2018

Community OUTreach Educator

University of California, Riverside

N/A

2020 - 2016

Mentor

Planting Science

N/A

2020 - 2017

President

UCR Queer (LGBT) Graduate Student Association

N/A

2018 - 2017

Academic Affairs Officer

University of California, Riverside

N/A

2018 - 2017

Secretary, Botany Grad Student Assoc.

University of California, Riverside

N/A

2018 - 2017

Mentor, Grad Student Mentorship Program

University of California, Riverside

N/A

2018 - 2016

Member Services Taskforce

American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference

N/A

2017 - 2016

Chair, Grad Student Working Group

American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference

N/A

2016 - 2014

Vice President, Horticulture Grad Student Assoc.

University of Georgia

N/A

2015 - 2013

President, Beta Beta Beta

Drake University

N/A

2010 - 2009

Oral and Poster Presentations

Multispecies fruit transcriptomes highlight divergence across developmental and evolutionary time

Oral presentation

Botany Conference

2020

Hybrid Origin of Bamboo Population Inferred from Haplotype-Phased Amplicon sequencing

Southern California Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics Meeting

Oral presentation

2019

Identification of Conserved Regulatory Modules in Dry and Fleshy Fruit Development

Oral presentation

Botany Conference

2019

There and Back Again: When Evolution Reverses

Three-Minute Thesis Competition

American Society for Horticultural
Science (ASHS) Conference

2017

  • 3rd Place Award

Optimizing Tissue Culture Methods in Diverse Nightshade Species

Poster Presentation

ASHS Conference

2017

Developmental Transcriptome of Nicotiana obtusifolia

Poster Presentation

UC Riverside CEPCEB
Post-Doc Symposium

2017

Optimizing Tissue Culture Methods in Diverse Solanaceae Species

Poster Presentation

Solanaceae Conference

2016

A Family Divided: Evolution of Dry and Fleshy Fruit in Nightshades

Three-Minute Thesis Competition

ASHS Conference

2016

  • 1st Place Award

Raising Cane: Sustainable Bamboo Restoration in the American Southeast

Three-Minute Thesis Competition

ASHS Conferencee
University of Georgia

2015

  • 1st Place Award at ASHS
  • Top 10 at UGA

Clonal Structure, Genetic Diversity, and in vitro Propagation of River Cane (Arundinaria gigantea), a candidate for use in wetlands reclamation

Oral presentation

Southern Region ASHS Conference

2015

Disinfestation and in vitro Growth and Development of Arundinaria

Oral presentation

UGA Interdisciplinary
Graduate Plant and Soil Symposium

2014

  • 1st Place Award (Masters Category)

Sterilization and in vitro Growth and Development of Arundinaria

Poster Presentation

Southern Region of North America
International Plant Propagators Society Conference

2014

Comparison of the Symptoms Caused by Three Geminiviruses in a Common Host

Poster Presentation

NCSU Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium
Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences

2009